Sony spends $380 billion on game streaming. So how long until we see Kratos on the PC?

Details about the deal and wild speculation on my part about what this could mean for Sony getting into cloud gaming after the jump.

The deal puts Sony in charge of Gaikai, the online game streaming service (site), which was the brainchild of Interplay and Atari exec David Perry. Started back in 2008, the service has been making overtures about seeking a buyer for months, according to a Gamasutra report.

Instead of using a set top device or any kind of plugin or application, Gaikai is more of a browser-based streaming service. Similar to OnLive, which offers both a hardware and software solution, Gaikai's big pitch is that you can play their library of games from publishers like THQ and EA on the go.

So when can we expect to start seeing Sony games out in the cloud? Well, that's the big question, isn't it? There's obviously a market for going digital, so it's not like they wouldn't have an audience, but Sony's long been in the hardware business. A couple of things could happen going forward:

1. Sony's next console (or even the PS3) could start going day and date digital for all releases.

2. That copy of a hypothetical Resistance 4 you just downloaded? You can play that through a Sony app on your tablet and even on your Vita.

3. Sony might start thinking about phasing out hardware entirely (less likely given that global broadband access is still sporadic).

Anything beyond that, I'd need my crystal ball to divine. Right now, there's no immediate change to what Sony or Gaikai is doing, and typically with these kinds of acquisitions it could take months if not years for something to come out of it (if anything at all happens). Still, we'll be on the lookout for more information.

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